§ Mr. Gregory CampbellTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what action the Government are taking to assist older people in rural communities who do not have access to a car. [178611]
§ Mr. SpellarThe Department for Regional Development's commitments to improving transport services in rural areas are set out in the Regional Transportation Strategy for Northern Ireland 2002–12.
The Strategy seeks to improve travel opportunities for people living in deep rural areas, villages and small settlements. The initiatives in the RTS, when fully implemented, will reduce inequalities in society by improving accessibility for, amongst others, people with disabilities, people without access to a car, older people and people living in rural areas. The pace of implementation of the Strategy will depend on the level of public funding, which will be determined through the annual Budgetary processes.
The Department is seeking to improve transport opportunities for older people living in rural communities through a range of initiatives. The Rural Transport Fund provides revenue support to maintain a network of some 44 Ulsterbus rural routes, throughout Northern Ireland, which would otherwise be uneconomical to run. Older people are able to get free concessionary travel on these rural services.
The Department also financially supports 18 Rural Community Transport Partnerships throughout Northern Ireland. These seek to meet the mobility needs of those older people and people with disabilities who live in rural areas and who are unable to make use of conventional transport networks.
In 2003–04 the Department for Regional Development initiated a public tendering exercise (Bus Challenge) to attract new stage carriage routes across Northern Ireland. Contracts were awarded for a number of rural routes. These routes provide older people living in rural areas with more opportunities to access local facilities and link with the wider public transport network.
Later this year the Department intends to initiate several Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) pilots in deep rural areas. It is hoped that these types of services will offer greater independence and new travel opportunities for older people living in those areas. DRT services may, for example, divert off certain sections of their route if requested and provide bookable door-to-door services for older people and people with disabilities.
The RTS committed the Department to prepare an Accessible Transport Strategy for Northern Ireland. The ATS will focus on the transport needs of older 970W people and people with disabilities. A draft Accessible Transport Strategy is currently being prepared and will be published in the autumn together with an Equality Impact assessment for public consultation. The Department aims to publish a final strategy by March 2005.
§ Mr. Gregory CampbellTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much public money has been allocated by the Department for Regional Development in each of the last three years towards the provision of public transport in rural communities in Northern Ireland. [178612]
§ Mr. SpellarUnder the Rural Transport Fund the following monies were allocated to deliver uneconomic public transport services in rural areas but which were regarded as socially desirable:
£ million 2001–02 1.6 2002–03 1.7 2003–04 1.8 This Fund allowed the Department to provide revenue support to uneconomic rural routes. In addition the Fund also provides further support to 18 Rural Community Transport Partnerships who offer a range of transport services which complement the conventional transport networks.
The Department for Regional Development recently initiated a public tendering exercise (Bus Challenge) to attract new stage carriage routes across Northern Ireland. As a result a number of contracts were awarded and which included a number of rural routes. Financial support from the Department for these rural routes during 2003–04 amounted to around –29,000.
Fuel Duty Rebate was also provided to Ulsterbus and a number of private operators:
£ 2001–02 5,933,750.00 2002–03 5,798,369.00 2003–04 5,892,531.00